A sharply divided Metro board approved a plan Friday that would give the city of Houston tens of millions of dollars more for road projects under a ballot referendum to be put before voters in November.

The 5-4 vote followed a sometimes strained, four-hour meeting and sparked accusations that city board appointees had orchestrated the move.

Like the first METRO HOT lane to open, I-45 South, the tolls range from $1 to $4.50, based on the time of day. Solo drivers can access the HOT lane during specific periods in the morning and afternoon drive times. The HOT lane will be closed at the peak of the morning (7-8 a.m.) and afternoon (5-6 p.m.) rush hours in order to keep the lane flowing smoothly at about 50 mph.

How Do METRO HOT Lanes Work?

Current HOV Lane users will see only one significant change: a lane for verification of the number of occupants in the vehicle.

Drivers without passengers are allowed to use the system by paying a toll with an authorized toll tag. This includes a METRO HOT Lanes Toll Tag, Harris County EZ TAG, TxDOT's TxTAG or the Dallas NTTA Toll Tag.

Traffic monitoring systems will help METRO maintain traffic speeds to ensure optimal travel times for existing HOV Lane users, as well those using the METRO HOT Lanes.

Learn more about the benefits, facts, and how to use the METRO HOT Lanes at ridemetro.org.